Arsenal’s set pieces are their DEADLY weapon, Mikel Arteta’s side looked solid despite injury woes and which teenager looks ready to make his stamp on the Premier League: THREE things we learned from the north London Derby
Arsenal defeated Spurs in another thrilling derby in north London on Sunday, with defender Gabriel heading home a goal to separate the two rivals.
The first half of the match saw the most yellow cards ever handed out in a Premier League match in the first 45 minutes, with Jurrien Timber also avoiding a red card.
Arsenal finished second with the win, while Tottenham remain in the bottom half of the table after a difficult start to the season.
Mikel Arteta insisted his team are aiming to win the Premier League title for the first time in 20 years, while Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will face questions about his team’s quality and tactics.
Mail Sport’s Isaan Khan presents three talking points about the North London derby.
Arsenal beat Spurs 1-0 in another thrilling derby in North London on Sunday afternoon
Gabriel (left) scored the only goal of the game by heading a corner into the net in the second half
1. Are Arsenal the kings of set pieces in the Premier League?
Death by set-pieces is a weapon invented by specialist coach Nicolas Jover and one that Arsenal have often deployed to devastating effect.
Since Jover joined Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff in 2021, the Gunners have scored 42 goals in this way, more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues.
After scoring 22 such goals in the Premier League last season, you were left wondering when the North London club would seize their regular chances this season.
Four games in and they did, Gabriel heading home a powerful header from Bukayo Saka’s corner to beat rivals Tottenham. It was the deciding factor in a game that Arteta’s team navigated sensibly with a makeshift midfield lacking Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard.
The Gunners scoring from a set piece is no surprise, but will make Arteta happy that their gimmick has been tweaked slightly. Before the season, the PGMOL promised to penalize obstructions in the penalty area for set pieces.
Arsenal have benefited from holding and pushing in the past, with Ben White getting in front of the goalkeepers and pinning them down on the touchline.
On this occasion, White failed to pin down Guglielmo Vicario, but was in his peripheral vision. It is difficult for a referee to check whether a player is blocking a keeper in the penalty area anyway. But Arsenal fans and Arteta can expect set-pieces to be a lucrative source of goals again this season — and the new rule won’t be too hard on them.
The Gunners have scored 42 goals from set pieces since Nicolas Jover (centre) joined the team in 2021.
Mikel Arteta (pictured) managed to deal with an injury-hit list to claim victory against formidable rivals Spurs
It is no surprise that the Gunners scored from a set-piece, but Arteta will be pleased that their tactics have been adjusted slightly.
2. Arsenal overcome injury woes
This match was never going to be a walk in the park for Arsenal. There were two factors at play: the menacing atmosphere emanating from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and their injuries.
Jorginho had not played a single minute this season and Thomas Partey had suffered a slow start as the Ghanaian had just recovered from his sluggish spell in the season opener against Wolves.
By adding the mix of Odegaard, Rice and Merino, Arteta had a task ahead of him – and he completed it with aplomb.
Kai Havertz was expected to play up front, but no one really expected Leandro Trossard to be deployed in midfield. It’s a position he’s not used in, and his goalscoring prowess – Trossard is arguably Arsenal’s most prolific player in front of goal – makes him redundant to play anywhere else.
The move was a brave one and it worked. Havertz was able to use his aerial presence in attack, while Trossard adapted to the team and did his best work in running back and pressing the opposition in defence.
Arsenal, despite their injuries, simply could not afford to drop points after the 1-1 draw with Brighton. These three points are a huge compliment to Arteta’s ingenuity and his team’s ability to pick up points when it matters. Promising signs.
Arsenal called on Jorginho to step in for several injured and suspended stars and he did so with aplomb
Leandro Trossard was also withdrawn to midfield – a move no one really expected
3. Ethan Nwaneri is ready to make his mark on the Premier League
He didn’t come on until the 86th minute, but Ethan Nwaneri’s brief cameo showed why many fans are clamoring for the midfielder to play this season.
The 17-year-old looked at ease on the ball, always wanting to play and making a number of eye-catching passes forward to break through Spurs’ midfield.
Nwaneri is more mature than he used to be and seems ready for his big moment.
The midfielder was unlikely to start in this decisive match as Arteta was reluctant to throw youth players in at the deep end.
What he did show is that despite Arsenal’s injury crisis – particularly in midfield – Nwaneri is more than capable of taking a step forward.
Teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri (pictured) has settled into midfield for Arsenal
He is still the youngest ever Premier League debutant, having played against Brentford in September 2022 at the age of 15, and has yet to make his full debut.
The next step doesn’t seem far away anymore.